


Twelve Days of Ludgate-Dwyer

by Parks and Fluff (GamblingDementor)



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Children, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-08 01:43:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5478662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/Parks%20and%20Fluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas 2032. Andy, April and their children, still living in Washington, were invited to spend the holiday season at Leslie and Ben's in Pawnee. Time to reunite with all their friends they haven't seen in years and be up to all sorts of shenanigans! </p><p>Each chapter represents one day and one person they meet up with. Tags will be updated as the story progresses. The four younger children are original characters by opti.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 21st December: The One where Andy is on his own

**Author's Note:**

> The children I'm writing in this story are as follows: Jack (9), Roberta (6), Samantha (4), Lucy and Victoria (3). Note that the Knope-Wyatt triplets are 17. I'll be posting every chapter early in the morning on the day the story happens (Central Europe time).

"Daddy! Jack stole my baseball glove _again_!"

 

Andy has been running around the house this way and that for what feels like hours. He was supposed to be done packing by five so they can all eat some snacks as soon as April comes home and no one cries out of starvation once they're all on the plane, then they leave for the airport at five thirty so they get there well in advance and don't miss the flight. That was the plan, but then Sammy had a fight with the twins, Robbie begged to pack her own things (Andy can't ever say no to her precious face, even though there's every chance that slows them down a great deal), Jack decided to start bothering her for some reason (she's been calling out to Andy to complain about him a dozen times in the past quarter of an hour) and, at 4:45, Andy is quite frankly nowhere near being ready.

"Jackie, what I tell you? Roberta's packing her things, don't make her lose time!""She's taking _my_ glove!""Robbie, take your own glove, sweetie." _April's clothes, check_ , he thinks as he buckles the suitcase that is to be hers. He puts it next to his and Jack's on the bed. Okay. Three down, four to go. With Roberta doing hers, that's three and a half, because he still has to check hers. He takes a big breath and checks his watch. 4:46. Still some time left before the boss comes home from work."Daddy…" a tiny little whisper comes through the door. Twin. He barely has the time to open for her that Victoria's warm little body is clutching his leg. He feels tears through the fabric − his heart clenches. No kid should ever be sad.

 

"Hey there, puppy, what's wrong?" He picks her up and, balancing her on his hip, he starts piling socks in Samantha's black suitcase she chose for herself last week. They're so small. He likes playing with Sam's little feet, pretend her toes are people, tickle her. When was the last time his oldest let him do that… years ago. Has he turned into a cookie grandpa already, even though all his kids are nine and under? It's no matter. Sam's little socks are cute.

"Sad," Vicky whimpers against his shoulder."Aww, sweetie, I'm so sorry."

 

As heartbreaking as it is to face your child being sad, it's still lucky it's one of the younger ones. They're much more easily soothed: a big hug, a few dozen kisses and they're good to go. Especially a little sunshine like Victoria. And they're not as heavy. He can just rub her back with one hand and keep packing Sam's things with the other, like a Super Dad.

"What happened?" He asks as he folds skirts with just one hand."Daddy, Jack is poking me!" Roberta whines down the hall."Jack, you know you can't touch other people if they don't wanna! That's, like, super important!" Andy shouts back, patting Victoria's back shaken by hiccups."She punched my arm!""Roberta, no punching!" Andy shouts, then turns his full attention back to the daughter currently in his arms. "What's wrong, sweetie?""It's Sammy…""Aww, sweetie, I'm sure she didn't mean to do anything!" He says, but doesn't really believe it. Samantha has always been unique, and who knows what she ever means? April _gets_ her about half of the time, but Andy, Andy just tries his best."She's mean."He presses a kiss on top of her little head, on her pretty black hair."I'm sure she's not. And you're with Daddy, now. I'm not mean either, am I?"Vicky nods slowly, burying her face against his chest, and he is about to lock down Sam's suitcase when he realizes he's forgotten her toiletries in the bathroom. Down the hall, he gets ran by by a snickering Lucy who is holding up her mouth what really looks like…"Lucy!" He cries out and picks her up. Two arms, two twins, that's what he always says. It just fits. "Did you take a special Christmas cookie?!"She gulps − more like swallows a bite."… No.""Sweetheart, we said those were special and we couldn't eat them today! They're presents!""I didn't eat any!" She cries out, her mouth covered in crumbs. The cutest thief the world has ever known."How many did you take, bug?""Zero!" She shouts and pouts."How many?"She shrugs and holds up three fingers. Okay. Presents salvageable. He glances down at his watch. 4:51."Jack?" He calls out. Hopefully their big boy isn't pestering his sister anymore and Andy can count on him."Yeah?" _Thank God._ "Can you look after Vicky and Lucy for a bit? I only have like ten minutes before Mommy gets back. Where's Samantha?"A loud crash echoes through the hall just as Jack's head peeks out of his bedroom to come look for his sisters. Andy sighs. Nevermind Sam's toothbrush and shampoo. That'll have to wait till after disaster check. He puts down the twins and rushes to the kitchen."What happened here?"In the middle of the room that was totally (… _kinda_ ) clean just earlier today before they all leave for the holidays, in a war field of broken cookies and fallen trays, Samantha looks like she's seen a ghost. Which may as well be the case. Sammy sees many things. Andy rushes to her side to comfort her, but she just stands still and doesn't respond much."Daddy, I'm done packing!" Roberta sing songs across the hall. Oh, Robbie. Just in time. A blessing from above."Can you come and play with Samantha for a bit? She's a little shaken.""With _Sam_?" Roberta already complains, but Andy has no time for that." _Yes, with Sam_. She's here in the kitchen, come now, please."

Picking up the trays, piling up the cookies (most are still good, that's a relief), giving the still shocked Sam a big hug (he can't find it in him to be upset for the mess − Sam is already too scared by what happened as it is, as she hates loud sounds), checking that Roberta is really soothing her (in a big family, he likes to initiate bonding between siblings, especially if it gives him some time to do what needs to be done): his work is done in the kitchen. For now. He'll pack the cookies later.

In the kids bathroom, he grabs all toothbrushes, towels, shower gels, washing clothes and Q-tips he can get his hands on. You won't catch forgetting a single thing for their holidays back in Pawnee! Not one thing. He promised.

 

"Daddy!" He hears Jack call out the very second he's buckled up Sam's suitcase and puts it with the other ones already packed on the bed.

"Yeah, buddy, what is it?""Lucy was laughing when I made funny faces and she peed her pants."Andy clenches his teeth. 4:58."Can you help her change? Please?"A few seconds of silence. Andy piles little sweaters and little pairs of pants and little panties and little shirts and little socks in Victoria's little suitcase (a green one − Vicky has been all about green ever since they watched Shrek 8), as fast as he can. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, two more just in case…"Do I have to?" Jack's whiny voice is right by the doorway now.Andy turns around. Poor little Lucy is trying to hide the spot with both her hands awkwardly and, he has to admit, without much success. Lucky he was just about to pack her stuff: it's all still on the cupboard. He hands Jack a new pair of freshly cleaned toddler-sized pants and underwear and kneels before Lucy first."Hey there, baby girl," he scratches her ear like he always does when she's upset and pouting. "It's alright, okay? Everybody pees their pants. Even Jack sometimes."" _Daddy_!""Now, you go to the bathroom and Jackie will help you get changed. Everything is awesome, alright?"She nods reluctantly and Andy kisses her cheek before getting back to packing Victoria's things. 4:59. Towels and soap and toothbrush, and no shampoo needed in this one because it's already in Sam's stuff, and it's done. All that's left is the second little suitcase with tiny clothes for the other twin. He can do this. In a race against the clock, he speeds up, Super Dad speed, and Lucy's things may or may not be as well folded as the rest… but the suitcase is buckled up the very second his phone alarm starts beeping."Phew!" He sighs.And it's just in time, too. He's barely started carrying their luggage to the entrance when the front door clinks open and his beautiful breadwinner of a wife comes home after a long day of work."April!""Hey, babe," she smiles and shakes the snow off her coat. "Is everything ready?"He gives her a kiss, hugging her as close as he can even though she's all cold from outside (he still really misses her every day when she's at work), and shrugs."Few speed bumps. I just gotta check Robbie's packed properly, and that Lucy is clean and dressed, and then we can eat a bit. Plane is at… eight, right?""We should be there in like an hour, please tell me we'll pull it off.""Aww, babe," he grins when he hears the nervousness in her voice. "You're so cute when you can't wait to see Leslie!"She punches his arm, just lightly because they both know he's right."I mean, yeah, of course I can manage. I always do, remember?" She snorts but nods. Everyone knows there's no better stay at home daddy than him. "Can you check on Sam and Robbie though? They're in the kitchen.""Yep," she pecks him on the lips before searching for her daughters.They do pull it off, obviously. After congratulating Roberta for not forgetting a single thing for their two week trip in Pawnee, Andy finds time to give everyone the cookie crumbles as snacks, put the other ones still intact in the present boxes (he lets Roberta curl the pretty red bows - she's super fast), pack them in the presents suitcase, check on every child, fill the car with the suitcases and the kids, and they're ready to be on their way."You're the best dad ever," April says and gives him a thank you kiss before taking the driver's seat. "All right, monsters, who's ready to fly to Pawnee?"

 

A thunder of happy cheers is the answer he gets − they're off to a great Christmas break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	2. 22nd December: The One where Ann and Chris meet the Ludgate-Dwyers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Chris meet April's children.

Whenever Andy and April are coming to Pawnee, Leslie makes such a big deal out of it that you'd think the ghost of Eleanor Roosevelt was visiting her. You'd also think that after seven years of her being back in Pawnee and April still in Washington, she'd be used to the monthly (later cut down to every other month when April had twins, sometimes even less) visits of the Ludgate-Dwyer family and not treat them as visits from heaven, yet every time it happens, she talks about it for days, sends Ann endless lists of present ideas and begs for her honest opinion (like Ann of all people would know better than her: she's met the older kid once years ago when he was a toddler, then the two next ones a few years later when April wasn't aware Ann would be present at the triplets' birthday party and couldn't just go home, and that's it − Leslie sees them every other month and talks to them every week _minimum_ ),  and marks down the date in everyone's planner.

 

It's not like that bothers Ann, not really. She still craves Leslie's friendly oddities after spending twelve years apart and if being obsessed with the Ludgate-Dwyers is part of it, so be it. Besides, she's genuinely happy for Leslie and she's glad to know April is doing great. Even though April has been avoiding seeing her for the past six years. And Wesley and the other two _love_ April's kids, which means Oliver is at least a little bit curious to meet them as well, and when Oliver is curious about something, Leslie is too. Not to mention that Andy has been sending emails to Chris for a few months, but they've missed each other every time he's been in Pawnee. They usually only stay the one day, and often modify the date last minute and if Ann has to take a guess, she'd say April probably has a hand in that and is actively trying to avoid them. It can't be mere coincidence that they haven't met up at all in several years. Not this time, though. This time, if they're spending two weeks in Pawnee, everything seems to be pointing at Ann and her family finally meeting up with April and hers at least once. There is finally nothing in the way for it to happen. They will see each other today.

 

Chris would have gone yesterday, of course. He would have greeted them right off the plane. It took Ben and the triplets teaming up to convince them that you do _not_ want to be there when Leslie reunites with April and her family when they're about to spend two whole weeks at her place. Especially considering they haven't seen each other in three months now, due to April's busy schedule recently (Leslie told Ann all about the new project she's working on). You really don't want to be there for all the squealing (that's Leslie) and the sighing (that's April), for Leslie's relentless questioning of absolutely everything that happened to April since they last talked, for her endless fawning over how much the children have grown. You just can't handle the first night, Ben and the kids say.

 

Chris insists on joining them for breakfast today, though. When Ann tells him you can't just barge into someone's house because you want to see their guests, he shows her that he's been texting Leslie Knope about it. Ann never knew you could use so many exclamation points in just a couple texts. At least she's grateful he's the one to wake Oliver up — that's never an easy task. And so the four of them, Perkins and Traegers, go knock on Leslie's door to have breakfast. 

Sonia opens the door, looking fresh as a rose as always in the morning.

 

"Ah, yeah, Mom told me you'd be coming," she says in her typical no-nonsense tone. "I'll just let you know, Uncle Andy and Auntie April are still sleeping. So are the children."

"Well, Sonia, we are all delighted to meet up with them, finally! I've _literally_ been waiting for this moment for years."

 

Sonia smirks. She's always liked Chris's enthusiasm.

"Oh, here you are!" Ben calls out from the kitchen doorway. "Come on in, guys!"The house is quiet for a place where supposedly five children and their crazy parents are dwelling, in addition to the already hyperactive Knope-Wyatt household. There's only Ben and his daughter having breakfast (although the table is set for everyone with a subtle taste that can only mean Leslie did the decorating herself), and the other ones are nowhere to be seen.

 

"So, how did yesterday go?" Ann asks as they sit down at the kitchen table, where an extension has been added to fit everyone.

"Mom was a _mess_ ," Sonia answers as she pours everyone a cup of hot chocolate. "Wasn't she, Dad?""She _was_ rather emotional," Ben admits.

 

"Roberta's hair was cut short. Well, short _er_. Mom cried for ten minutes straight."

 

"That's Aunt Leslie alright…" Leslie says and Sonia and her snicker from their corner of the table where they always sit together whenever they're here, the deadpan duo.

"Speaking of the devil," Ann asks, "Where's Les?""Oh, she's in her crafts room making all brand new presents for everyone because, I quote, _none of them fit them, Ben, they've grown so much, I got it all wrong._ "Ann hides her laugh into her hot cocoa. That's the fifth time this month. She expects Leslie to have changed her mind at least another three times before Christmas comes."I'm gonna check if Wesley is up," Oliver says and jogs to the stairs. He's barely left the room when three little heads pop out of the door of the guest room and take a peek into the hall."Are there waffles?" The taller one asks, who Ann recognizes as Roberta, the older girl."Freshly baked," Sonia replies and the three little kids come running into the kitchen.

 

The two bigger kids give a hug to Sonia and Ben (saying good morning to "Uncle Nerd", and seeing Ben's face, it doesn't seem to be the first time this nickname is used − this has April's signature all over it), whereas the smaller girl keeps clutching her brother's leg and, after glancing at Ann and Chris with horrified staring eyes that won't blink, she buries her face into his pajama and refuses to let go.

"Ugh, Sam, I gotta sit!" Jack whines and for a second, his voice sounds so much like April's it's uncanny. He definitely is her son − the pictures already made that pretty clear, but seeing him in real life, looking at them almost warily, it's as if a tiny version of April as a boy was sitting down on the other side of the table just now.

 

Roberta, though, is nothing like April. Taller than her brother, sporting indeed very short fair hair and with eyes twinkling with the same cheerfulness as Andy's always had, she is the portrait of her father.

"Who are you?" She asks bluntly as she sits down in the chair between Ann and Chris that Oliver left free."I'm Ann, and this is my partner Chris. We're friends with your Aunt Leslie."Her big green eyes widen with excitement.

 

"Oooh, I know you!" She cries out with a giggle. "Mommy told us about you, she says you're…"

 

"Robbie, you can't tell them that!" Jack blurts out before she can reveal what April says they are exactly.

"What? Mommy always says they're poopy dum-dums!"

 

Sonia and Leslie snicker as Roberta stares at her brother, her brows knitted in confusion.

 

"That's a bad word!" He explains.

"Oh yeah," she says, suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry…""It's fine," Ann smiles. "I… er… I know your mom doesn't mean it.""Mom doesn't tell lies, that's a rule!" Roberta says. " _Honesty is important._ ""Except if it's a joke," Jack pipes in."Well, your mom makes very good jokes, then."

 

"Yeah," Roberta grins. "She does."

She helps herself with three waffles, despite her big brother's bulging eyes, and dives in voraciously."You know who makes great jokes?" She asks, her mouth full. "Daddy!"

 

"Does he, now?" Ann smirks.

 

She's about to ask for proof when everyone is startled by a loud crash in the guest room. _Well that's Andy for sure._ Ben rushes into the other room only for Andy to shout out "Am alright! Everything's fine!" and to that, everyone hears Ben sigh in relief so loud that it's audible even through the wall.

"Okay," April's voice says, muffled by the distance and sleepiness. "I'm taking a shower now, are the kids alright?""They're great," Ben answers, "they're having breakfast right now with Sonia and Leslie, and…"

"Okay, bye," April cuts him and the conversation seems to reach its end when they all hear a door slamming.

 

Then Ben comes back into the kitchen, with Andy right behind him.

 

It's one thing to see Andy in the pictures Leslie sends, and it's something else entirely to see him walk into the room for real, a sleepy toddler in each arm, their little heads resting against his chest, both of them trying to sneak a few more minutes of rest. All three of them are wearing matching pajamas with an embroidered Li'l Sebastian that have Leslie's paws all over them. And Ann has to admit that Andy, who is holding them tight and bears a huge grin on his face… well, he looks like a great dad.

"Hey hey! You're here, guys, that's so great!" He says and pats one of the girl's head when his voice wakes her out of her sluggishness, and she falls right back against him and nuzzles her face into his pajama top.

 

"Hey, Andy," Ann says and watches as he sits the girls down in the chairs next to his own seat just left of Chris. She can only admire what a devoted father he is being all throughout breakfast. He patiently serves his two daughters before himself, talks and jokes with everyone (mostly Roberta, who seems to hold an infinite admiration for him), smiling like he's never lived a better day in his life. There's joy in seeing someone who has truly found everything they wanted in life. Ann is so entranced by his radiating happiness that she doesn't even notice April until she plops down next to her, her hair still dripping from the shower.

"What are _you_ doing here?""Hello to you too, April.""Where's Leslie? Ben told me the kids were with Son and Leslie."

 

"Well, _Uncle Nerd_ meant my daughter."

 

April snickers at the nickname, but bites it back.

 

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted him." She looks around and notices her daughter sitting between Ann and Chris. "Robbie, come sit next to me, sweetie, you don't wanna catch the lames," she says, but she's smirking at Ann.

"Your family is lovely," Ann says as Roberta shrugs and moves seat.April hides her smile, instead looks around the room at her precious children, and frowns."Where's Sam?"Everyone seated look at each other guiltily − no one has really paid attention to April's middle child. Ann curses at herself for not noticing that they haven't heard from the little girl since she arrived in the room."She's here under the table," Jack mumbles, looking away from what he believes is going to be his mother's wrath. Far from it, she simply rushes to pick her daughter up, and the little girl just snuggles into her arms."I told you guys a thousand times," she mutters to Jack, but the whole room can hear her, "You _have_ to check on Sam."

 

The way April is cuddling her child against her, her hand patting Samantha's back soothingly as the girl buries her face into her chest, Ann now sees that Andy is not the only one who matured and found happiness. April is caring, loving in her own April way and her eyes hold all the softness in the world whenever she looks at any of her kids. And even if she pulls a few faces at her the whole time they all have breakfast together, Ann is still happy to have seen her, and she's happy to spend this time of year with her and her family and Leslie. And deep down, she knows April is happy about it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	3. 23rd December: The One where Natalie has cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April visits her sister with her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to vixxgot7shineecats for helping me with the Spanish sentences!

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Andy asks after April's knock goes unanswered.

"Yeah," April sighs, "She's just sleeping or something, I dunno."She knocks one more time. No one comes. The children are starting to fidget and Andy seems more doubtful than ever. "Ugh," April rubs her temples, "Okay, monsters, I'm gonna do something that you can only do if the person not answering is really annoying, alright? It's not super nice."

 

The little heads of her dear tiny brats nod along − they love seeing her being 'not super nice'.

"NATALIE!" She yells and bangs on the door. "GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE AND OPEN THE FREAKING DOOR!"That seems to do the trick, as they hear shuffling on the other side of the door and a moment later, the door inches open and a pair of eyes identical to hers stare right at April."Yeah?""It's your _sister_ ," April says exasperatedly. "I told you I was coming."Natalie snorts, then pulls the door open, letting everyone in behind her. She hasn't changed much since April last saw her a few years ago. Her hair sports a purple stripe above her left eye and the piercing on her nose is new, but she looks exactly like the little sister April has always known, even at forty."I almost didn't recognize you," Natalie says with a smirk. "You look like a middle-class soccer mom.""And you look like a dirt poor tattoo artist who has too many cats."

 

You could say that just from seeing the place. Dirty clothes scattered on the floor, a few empty pizza cases on the table, some mild smell of cat urine and paintings and pictures everywhere, the place is some beautiful mess. So is Natalie. There's also men clothes. April can't wait to see what partner her sister has gotten herself this time − it's a different one every time she visits. As Natalie is fine with that and seems as happy as she ever lets on, April is totally fine with it as well.

 

As they cross a narrow and overly messy hall, Natalie, who answered the door wearing only a tank top and boxers, picks up a pair of jeans from the floor, sniffs them, grimaces, and pulls them on anyways.

 

"So, how many tykes you got?" She asks as she leads them to her small living room. A cat jumps off the coffee table when he sees them.

"Five!" Roberta says and she's the only one brave enough to say a thing. Jack is standing there quietly, bravely, but the twins are already clutching Andy's legs and Samantha is hiding behind April."Yeah, well, Mom and Dad are gonna be over the moon.""We're totally visiting them too, right, babe?" Andy says excitedly as he plops onto the couch.

 

April promised Leslie she would visit her parents at least once during her stay, so she nods and takes seat on an old neon green armchair with fabric softened by years of Natalie sitting on it probably every hour of the day like the lazy butt she can be. Sam hides on the other side, sitting on the floor, and April reaches over to hold her hand still. Sometimes she gets overwhelmed when she's in unknown places. Sometimes she's fine with it. Depends.

"You want soda or something?" Natalie asks half-heartedly."Sure," April shrugs.

 

Natalie disappears into the kitchen and Andy barely has the time to give April excited thumbs up before she comes back. Robbie almost rushes to hug her in all her loving candor (she _really_ loves soda), but April eye-gestures Andy to pick her up and keep her on his lap. Natalie isn't always the best with little ones − April wouldn't want Roberta's feelings to get hurt by her reaction. Lucky their daughter loves getting all cuddly with anyone, but her dad best of all, and Roberta just snuggles against Andy and doesn't notice a thing.

"I only have Vernor's. Careful, don't shake 'em," she smirks as she throws them one by one for them to catch, shaking them all up in the process. April rolls her eyes — some things never change.

 

"You're such a _hilarious_ troll," April sighs, but can't help the smile turning up her lips as she remembers when they used to live together and pranks like this were an everyday occurrence. Still, Andy has to open the cans for the kids slowly and carefully in case they geyser the whole place up and everyone sips their soda awkwardly. 

 

"Kitty!" Lucy's high-pitched screech breaks the silence as she points to the doorway leading to the bedroom where a fat ginger cat is peeking its big round head. Ever since Andy took them to that Johnny Karate concert at that kid's house where there was a big old tomcat who agreed to be snuggled and petted to their heart's desire, the kids have all been really into cats, especially fat cats. 

 

"Do you have a lot of cats?" Jack asks in all his awkward politeness that's the result of being shy but raised by Andy.

 

Natalie holds up four fingers while she takes a big sip of soda, but doesn't seem to have much more to add when she's done. She just sits there, legs crossed under her, playing with the rim of her top.

 

"Can we pet it?" He adds.

 

"Sure," she shrugs. 

 

All five kids rush to pet the cat who, despite being surprised, lets them be nice and gentle to him − that was the first rule taught by Johnny Karate about cats. _Well that's something taken care of_ , April thinks. 

 

"Oh, I got you something," she remembers and hands Natalie the present she got her for Christmas. 

 

"Thanks," Natalie says and puts it down on the coffee table, unopened. For more than twenty years, they've exchanged CDs of old bands from the 80s every Christmas and birthdays. If Natalie is anything like April, and she is, she has a special place where she puts all of these and listens to them from time to time with that old CD player she keeps for that exact purpose. She hands her a similar loosely wrapped CD − April will make sure to listen to it as soon as they get back to Washington.

 

"What are you doing for Christmas, Natalie?" Andy asks, keeping an eye on the kids playing with the cat. 

 

"Sealtiel and I are watching Christmas specials and making fun of bad actors."

 

"Oh wow, that sounds super fun! Can we come?"

 

"Andy," April elbows him, "We're spending Christmas with Leslie."

 

"Oh, yeah, right…"

 

"You're such a nerd," Natalie smirks, "Spending holidays with your boss."

 

" _Yeah_ , she hasn't been my boss in like fifteen years."

 

"Still."

 

"Shut up," April snickers, because Nat will never stop being her brat little sister. 

 

"Mommy, there's another kitty!" Robbie cries out and points behind her and lo and behold, a sleek tuxedo cat jumps over the couch and rushes into the room next to where the children are crouching and before April can stop them, they're all following the cat into the room. Ensue a bang, a hiss, a groan. The kids squeak and rush back out, and out also comes a big bulky man wearing just sweatpants, his arms covered in tattoos.

 

"The fuck?" He says in a low raspy voice. 

 

Immediately, Andy and the children's mouths fall agape and they turn to April − it's not everyday the f-word is heard in the Ludgate-Dwyer family. She shakes her head. Now is not the time for politeness lessons for her sister's boyfriend.

 

"April, Sealtiel. Bebe, te dije de mi hermana."

 

He nods in her direction, then looks at Natalie expectantly. Apparently still not over the kids rushing into his room and possibly waking him up.

 

"Ella vino de visita con su esposo y sus hijos.""

 

"Gusto en conocerte," April says and he winks before disappearing in the kitchen. 

 

"El esta _bueno_ ," April tells her sister, and thank god the kids aren't paying attention to any of this anymore.

 

In the kitchen, Sealtiel snorts. Natalie nods with a dirty glint in her eyes and makes sure to grab onto Sealtiel's muscles when he comes back to sit next to Natalie. Because even as the years go by, some things never change. Natalie will always be the little brat who dates hot guys and doesn't like kids, April will always be the big sister who teases her about everything and pretends she wants to ruin her life. Natalie will always pretend she doesn't care, April will always pretend she cares even less. Before they realize it, a few hours have gone by, spent with pretend taunting and, for April, watching the kids play around quietly from the corner of her eyes, and it's probably time to get back to Leslie's if they don't want her to launch a full investigation for missing children already. 

 

"Goodbye, Aunt Natalie!" Roberta says when they're all heading out and this time, April lets her give Nat as big a hug as she wants, because they're leaving anyway. 

 

"Yeah, sure…"

 

"Bye, Natalie!" Andy crushes her into one of his bear hugs and April is only slightly jealous of her own sister − she'd better get a hug like that of her own as soon as they're out of here. 

 

"Bye, dumbass," April mutters so the kids don't hear. Only Jack is close enough but he turns his head and pretends he hasn't caught that. The hug between her and her sister is longer and tighter than either of them will admit. 

 

"Yeah, yeah," Natalie says and pats her back awkwardly. "I'll catch your ugly face in Washington one of these days or so."

 

"Anytime."

 

Natalie goes as far as walking them out of the building after the other kids have said their goodbyes, and even waves them off as they leave. In truth, it _had_ been too long since April last saw her. Maybe she'll actually invite her to visit them in Washington for real, with a set date, sooner rather than later. And if Natalie happens to be woken up by an army of overexcited little kids at some point, well, that's only fair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	4. 24th December: The One where Rita and Larry don't know that much about their daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April visits her parents and Leslie tags along.

"Now, are you _absolutely sure_ you don't want to join us tonight?" Leslie asks for the ten thousandth time. 

 

April sighs internally, or so she thinks until Andy wraps an arm around her and she wonders if she actually did sigh out loud. But he just brings her closer and presses a kiss on her temple, with nothing to suggest that the rest of the room can see how utterly bored she is. 

 

Certainly not her parents, at least. They never have. They're tweeting it up with Leslie, a symphony of boring bullshit and April longs to join her kids playing in the living room instead of being stuck in this dumb kitchen that hasn't changed since she was a kid and is still every bit as clean and ugly. But she has to be the good daughter for at least this short visit, because Leslie insisted she did, and she sits there quietly. Quietly bored. 

 

"It's very sweet of you, Ms. Knope," her mom says, "but we couldn't impose on the governor like that…"

 

"Nonsense! You wouldn't be imposing at all! You're like family."

 

April internally shakes her head at the notion that her own parents would be _like_ family. What does that make Leslie?

 

"I promise we're very touched, really," her dad adds, "but we've already got our own little plans for Christmas with old friends here tonight, and we wouldn't want to be a bother."

 

April stops listening, kind of, and turns her full attention to the little strikes of gray hair peppering Andy's temples. She traces them with a finger, suddenly fascinated by the way the years have marked him. How lucky she is that he is still the most handsome man in the world…

 

"What do you think, April?" Leslie asks and gets her out of her daydream. Ugh. 

 

"I don't care," she says.

 

Leslie starts yammering about whatever again, apparently satisfied with that level of non commitment. Andy's cheek is itchy under the flat of her thumb. He wanted to shave to look more presentable for Christmas and the family, but she refused categorically and threatened divorce. She married him with a beard and she intends to wake up to his patchy bearded face every single morning. She loves the way his face subconsciously leans against her hand every time she so much as touches his face ever so slightly, as if he was drawn to her no matter what, even at the lightest touch. 

 

"…and you must feel so proud about her promotion as well…" She catches Leslie say and remembers − too late − that she hasn't told her parents about her recent promotion. 

 

"Promotion?" Her mother asks, turning to April with a kindhearted smile.

 

April shrugs, playing with Andy's big fingers on her lap. 

 

"Just this work thing. I'm kind of in charge of forming of the new job counselors. It's nothing," she mutters.

 

"It is _not_ nothing, April," Leslie chimes in. "It's amazing! I was so proud when you called me."

 

April bites the inside of her cheek, hard, to avoid looking as guilty as she feels. She _knows_ she should have told her parents, about that and many things, but every time she even gets the idea of calling them, she gets bored in advance and then hits up Leslie on Gryzzlchat to tell her the news instead. 

 

"Oh, you…" Her mother's voice is soft with half-hidden sadness. "You called her about it."

 

"Of course she did," Leslie says in all her obliviousness. "It was the front page of my Ludgate-Dwyer newsletter last week!"

 

The urge to facepalm is strong. April knew letting Leslie come with her to visit her parents was a very bad idea, but sometimes, there's only so much you can do to prevent Leslie from doing anything. She has a mind of her own, and today her mind has been fixated on meeting up with Rita and Larry Ludgate. In a way, it's just as good, because Leslie can make conversation with anyone, at any time, about anything. Which April has never been able to, and certainly not with her family. It's not like April openly _hates_ her parents, not exactly. It's more that she doesn't find any particular reason to love them all that much. But Leslie, well, Leslie is different on all accounts. She cares about everything and everyone: of course she'd care about April's own parents more than April even does. Of course she'd care about April more than her own parents even do. 

 

April isn't completely oblivious to what happened. She's had years to crack that dumb mystery. Leslie is what smartasses would call a mother figure to her. She isn't sure exactly what events led to that, but it's been that way for pretty much twenty years, so why bother about it? Leslie is the one she calls if one of her kids is sick and she's worried about it, or if she has a new promotion, or if she wants to talk to someone older who (to some degree) understands her and will empathize, she's the one who spoils and dotes on April's children, she's the one who has there to give her all the guidance and advice April hates to have needed. And that was all to the detriment of her relationship with her own parents, and April has been fine with this. 

 

It doesn't mean she wants to rub it in their faces, though. She had intended for today to be a tad boring, just a basic family gathering where she tells her parents the core events that have happened since the last time they talked, they exchange Christmas presents in advance, then April goes back home to Leslie's and everyone is happy. She never meant to have it in the open that she tells Leslie all the things she doesn't tell them. 

 

"What's this," her father asks confusedly, "Ludgate-Dwyer newsletter?"

 

"Ah, yes, I share it with all our old friends from the Parks Department," Leslie smiles warmly. "I mean, you'd probably know about it all, it's just the every day stuff like that time Roberta broke her arm, or when Jack got all A's on his last report, just basic stuff that I think people might enjoy knowing about, you know?"

 

"Basic stuff, yes…" He answers, his voice just as tainted with sadness as April's mother's, or is she making that up in her own mind because she feels so guilty that she never tells them about any of that? And why is he looking at her like that? She hears Jack laugh to something Roberta says in the living room − why is she at the adult table again?

 

Finally, Leslie seems to pick up on the tension. 

 

"I mean, I could include you on the list of recipients, if you want…"

 

"It's just some boring stuff," April mumbles. 

 

"C'mon, babe, it totally isn't boring how Sam hates soda cause it makes her tongue fuzzy! That article about what the kids love and hate was totally my favorite part of last week's Ludgate-Dwyer's Fun Family Facts for Faraway Friends."

 

Leslie giggles at the title of her newsletter − it's always been her pride. 

 

"We would like that very much," April's mom and dad say after looking at each other to check the other's opinion. "To be included."

 

"Daddy," Sam's little softspoken voice says next to them and everyone is startled to see she is right there in the kitchen − April likes to think of her as subtle and discreet, Andy likes to think of her as a ninja. 

 

"Yes, pup?" 

 

"Can I sit on your lap?"

 

"'Course, baby girl," he says and picks her up, wrapping his big arms around her like he does, and April knows how safe and warm you feel in his embrace and is happy her children get to experience that every day.

 

"Weren't you playing with your brother and sisters?" Leslie asks softly, in that kind voice she always gets with kids, her own or others.

 

Samantha shakes her head, wrapping her little arms around Andy's big one. 

 

"Jack?" April calls out.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Everything alright with Sam?" 

 

"Yeah, she said she's doesn't want to play anymore. I said we could play another game but she said she doesn't want to play any game anymore."

 

"Okay, thanks!" She turns to Samantha. "Do you want to color?"

 

Samantha shakes her head again. 

 

"Just wants a cuddle from her old dad," Andy chuckles. "I'm that good."

 

April certainly can't find any argument against that. And just like that, being stuck here between Leslie praising her and her parents listening eagerly, it all gets easier when she has her daughter to dote on. All their children love hugs and cuddles as much as their parents do, but Samantha _needs_ them in a different way, when her desire to be alone is fighting against her desire to _please_ not be alone, and hugs are just the best way to forget you hate the world, sometimes. Or maybe April's projecting. There's no way to tell. All she knows is that at some point, Sam transfers to her lap and almost falls asleep against her before her dad laughs really hard at one of Andy's jokes, then she transfers to Andy's lap against, and even accepts that one hug from Leslie. 

 

"I'll ask one last time," Leslie asks actually for the last time. "Are you sure you don't want to spend Christmas with us?"

 

"Thank you kindly, but it's alright," April's mom answers. "We'll… We'll just make do with what we had planned."

 

Her dad hugs April tight to say goodbye and just when she thinks he's about to let her go, he whispers against her ear. 

 

"Don't forget we love you, Zuzu."

 

And he lets her go for her to deal with that. For just the shortest while, she forgets about how dull they are, how they never understood her or cared to, how they've never given her any piece of solid advice, how she's never trusted them, and just sees them as they are: a couple of old people who love their child. So she nods, with an awkward smile. 

 

In the car ride back home, April rides next to Leslie's in the passenger seat. The twins have fallen asleep in their car seats even though the ride is short from April's childhood home to Leslie's (they usually take a nap in the afternoon, didn't today, and hours of playing have taken their toll on them), and Jack is looking out the window, lost in his thoughts. April asks herself if she should have ridden with Andy instead when Leslie whispers to not wake up the kids.

 

"I thought they knew about all that."

 

"It's just… We're not that close."

 

Leslie smiles in all her old lady tenderness − she's not even sixty yet, but April considers her a crone as she is. 

 

"Well they'll have all the news now, won't they?"

 

April smirks despite herself. 

 

"Yeah, thanks to your crazy mails."

 

"The Ludgate Dwyer's F.F.F.F. is far more than crazy mails, April."

 

"Yeah, yeah."

 

They share a look, a smile. Leslie reaches out and takes April's hand. 

 

"Let's focus on what really matters."

 

April looks at Leslie expectantly. Is it her own children? Her friends? Her dog? They had to leave poor Count Chocula at a friend's in Washington for the holidays so probably not that. 

 

"Christmas!" Leslie answers. "Let's go celebrate Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	5. 25th December: The One where Leslie spoils her godchildren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Presents!

  
From the time he was a little kid, Andy was always the first one up on Christmas morning, to open all the gifts he got. He loved every little bit of it, from the cool and awesome toys to the new clothes, not to forget the wrapping − he still sort of remembers that time he got a big cardboard box from Santa when he was three. Over the years, the excitement never faded and even got renewed when he married April because she gives the  _ best _ presents. But recently, he's found competition on who wakes up before everyone. That serious opponent is currently pulling on his arm with all her amazing six year old strength.

 

"Daddy!" Roberta whispers incredibly loudly. "Wake up, Daddy!"

 

On any given day, Andy would pat her head and tell her to try to sleep a bit longer, but this is Christmas Day, so he jolts awake and jumps out of bed.

 

"Santa's come!" He shouts out excitedly and beside him, April turns around and covers her head with a pillow. The twins, who were sleeping next to her, scramble up and out of bed instantly, though, and if Jack and Samantha weren't already up as well, they are now as they all clump against his legs for him to lead the way to the greatly expected presents.

 

There is a great truth in life, though, that Andy has had the occasion to learn many times before, and it is the following: no matter how early you think you've woken up, Leslie Knope will be up before you.

 

"Hello, children," she says in a high-pitched voice that is probably meant to sound like an elf.   


 

  
It matches the outfit she's wearing as she welcomes them into the living room: a large green tunic with cuffed green sleeves, a pointy hat, red and white striped leggings that look like candy canes and oversized shoes with a curved tip that jingle as she stands up to meet them. What would the voters of Indiana say if they saw their governor as the perfect Santa elf, Andy cannot say.

The children all step carefully, cautiously towards her, this strange woman who is so obviously an elf, but also really looks like their dear Aunt Leslie. At least all of them but Jack. Their boy has figured out by now that the whole Santa business is more of a practical joke played on children than a story that holds any truth in it. For two years, he's been coming along to the gift shopping, guiding his parents to the best present for each of his siblings, and it's been an amazing blessing to have him on the team of the big kids. Maybe next year, they'll have Roberta, too."Who are you?" Victoria asks, easily impressed as any three year old.Leslie chuckles knowingly. She takes a bow, lifting her hat."I am the good elf, my child, here to deliver Santa's presents to the good kids. Have you been good?"Vicky nods frantically and Leslie, or rather the good elf, hands her a large green box with a huge bow and a tag that has her name on it (Leslie  _never_  mixes up the twins, even when they're wearing matching pajamas as they are right now). The present is almost as big as she is and she doesn't trot very far away before she drops it on the floor and begins ripping through the wrapping paper.Andy sits down on the armchair next to the tree, happy to watch his little ones get what is surely the best presents they've had yet one by one out of Leslie's hands. The twins, Roberta, Jack, finally Samantha line up in front of her."Have you been good, my child?" She asks the little girl and Andy's heart sinks in his chest when he sees her shake her head earnestly."Oh, you haven't?" Leslie asks and her voice is still chipper as ever. "Well, then, I'll have to hand you over to the naughty elves, won't I?"Out of nowhere, to be more accurate from inside the closet where they've been hiding, the triplets barge into the room, all three of them wearing similar outfits as Leslie, but with black and dark red replacing the green and white and, instead of an elf pointy hat, they're wearing devil horns. They laugh a dark raspy laugh and stomp their feet."We are the naughty elves! Here to deal with the naughty children!" Stephen says, having the time of his life.Samantha holds her hands behind her back, looking down. She doesn't reply."The punishmen for being naughty is..." Sonia adds, her hands on her hips, staring at the little girl. Andy sits right at the edge of his seat, ready to intervene for his baby girl."A thousand hugs!" Wesley completes and all three of them rush to pick up Sam and between the three of them, a thousand hugs and kisss seems about accurate. Soon, she's giggling under the adorable assault and her smile is shining like a sun by the time they put her down to give her the first present Santa has for her — or so she looks to Andy.She sits down comfortably on Leslie's big couch, joined by her guardian naughty elves and everyone is waiting for her to open that first gift. With all the care that her little four year old fingers allow, she carefully takes off the bow, the ribbons, the wrapping paper, and puts them on the coffee table carefully before having a look at what Santa gave her."What you got, Sammy?"She shows him the Halloween themed coloring books she got, her eyes shining with excitement. Ben, who just woke up judging by his hedgehog bed hair, sinks down on the chair next to Andy's, a cup of steaming hot cocoa in the hand, a present in the other."Good morning, Andy," he says and hands him the present. "Merry Christmas.""Aww, Ben, thank you!"Half a second of tearing his present later, a thick book falls onto his lap with a  _thump_  and bears the title ' _A Year Worth of Memories: 2032 Edition_ ". Andy flips through the pages and finds all sorts of cool collages. Every member of his family gets a special chapter with lots of pictures either taken here in Pawnee, or found on his or April's Gryzzl feed, carefully organized into a beautiful scrapbook album."Wow, this is awesome!"He smiles fondly at a picture of Jack tickling Lucy from behind by surprise he took on the twins' birthday last June, traces that beautiful smile on their faces with his thumb."Leslie and Wesley did most of it," Ben admits modestly, "but the chapter on board games is all mine."Andy flips to that specific part when he feels April's thin hand on his neck as she leans down to have a look as well."Check this out, babe," he says, pulling her onto his lap for them to look through it all together. She makes herself comfortable, pointing at the best parts, snorting at the chapter entirely made of pictures of funny faces.If Andy had to rate all the best moments in his life, he'd say that this whole morning comes pretty high up on the final ranking. It's not this specific present — in fact, they've received an album like this one every year since the year they got Jack — but the joy that keeps being spread between absolutely everyone. Everywhere he looks, he sees nothing but unimpeded pure happiness on everyone's face.In a corner, both lying flat on their stomach, Wesley is reading a book to Sam. He wrote it himself just for her. For a while now, he's wanted to become a children books' author and he's made up a short story for all the children. Andy makes a mental note to ask for his help with Johnny Karate. Always could use some help with the album art and the lyrics. April has joined Leslie the good elf in the distribution of presents, watching everyone's face light up at the amazing gifts Santa got for them. But the most beautiful sight of all is her own pretty face when Leslie hands her one of the presents she got her: a guided tour of the thirteen best graveyards of the Northeast. Leslie gets a spontaneous hug — the lucky one.Roberta is the loudest of them all, fawning over her new science kit with Stephen explaining it all to her. He's the science nerd of the triplets and Andy suspects he's going to get into some super fancy science school next year when he goes to college, and then just become an awesome scientist. Hopefully he inspires Roberta even more. He's probably had a hand in that specific gift already. Maybe Andy should ask him to be the new Professor Smartbrains on his Johnny Karate YouTube channel.The twins are already playing with some of the biggest plushies Andy has ever seen. They're still at that age where they're happy with whatever, but it doesn't mean Leslie hasn't gotten out of her way to get them their favorite animals and characters (Victoria is hugging a big frog, Lucy a chameleon, and all sorts of toys are littering the floor everywhere they go). She hasn't stopped there: she got some construction blocks, kinetic sand, all sorts of candy, costumes of the best cartoon characters... and all that just for the twins. 

It's not like anyone was left out. Just about every instant, there is someone gasping excitedly about some new thing. Not just his five children but also him and April, and also Leslie's family — Ben gets so openly overjoyed at the new Magic extension he'd been trying his best not to buy because he thought he shouldn't that everyone turns their head towards him for fear he's injured himself. April's idea, although she denies it. Everywhere, people are putting on their new hats and mufflers and mittens, all hand knitted by Leslie's loving little naughty elves, they're munching on the cookies Andy and the kids made, they're drinking from April's flasks of Hag's Blood (actually cherry juice bottles she decorated Halloween style), they're reading the Pawnee history books Leslie always gives everyone, they're having a great time. 

Andy's best present of all is getting to watch it all. Even Jack, who is usually rather reserved, climbs on his lap to share with him the book on the history of sports in Pawnee given (and Andy suspects written) by his Aunt Leslie. They look at it together, just a dad and his son sharing something they both love, and isn't this what Christmas is all about in the end? 

Sonia, always ruling over everything, is scanning the room in search of presents that might have been forgotten in the midst of all the excitement. She finds a last one, and Andy recognizes it as the present April picked for her. From across the room, she spots him looking at her and comes to sit next to him to open it. As soon as she's neatly removed the tape and the paper, she jumps to her feet and gasps.

"Oh my god, how'd you find it? I looked everywhere in Indiana and they didn't have it anywhere!"

She rushes to him to give him the biggest hug he's got from her, ever, and the old copy of some book about women in politics April found for her falls on the ground in all the excitement. He hasn't looked at it, because April was the one who got it, but he's been told Sonia had been wanting to find it for a while, that particular book about women in politics before the first female president, but couldn't find it anywhere due to it being written in the 1970s. April told Andy she had to borrow it (and never give it back) from the library — an option Leslie never considered, for sure. 

"I didn't find it, Santa found it" Andy replies, and earns himself another breathtaking hug — someone is their mother's righteous daughter. 

"I love it, Uncle Andy!" She repeats, and Andy doesn't mind that she holds him tight for another ten minutes. 

Even when Ann and Chris come to visit, everyone including April keeps their good cheer, and even more when they eat another serving of yesterday's amazing feast for lunch. Such joy as today lasts a long time, and stays even longer in your heart, and Andy is not going to forget this day any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	6. 26th December: The One with too many Dwyers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andy's family can be too much.

If there's something April didn't expect when Andy told her they were invited by his mom to celebrate Christmas the day after actual Christmas, it's for the back door to the garden to be open the whole time. When she asks Andy about it, he says it's always been that way when they were growing up and he doesn't really know why. When she asks the kids why they think it's that way, the girls don't really hear her and just go back outside to play in the snow with their cousins, and Jack says he thinks it's because some people think cold weather is refreshing for the mind as well. All she knows is that she's completely frozen and there's only so much you can do when you're at your mother-in-law's house, surrounded by giants you barely know. She wants to sit on Andy's lap and snuggle against his warm body but they're eating and she doesn't want to get all of his mother's Christmas lunch all over her clothing as is bound to happen if she's between him and his mouth when he eats. 

 

So she sits there and thinks about all the ways she could escape if she had the guts. She's already got the reputation of Andy's grumpy weird wife and she's proud of that, but she doesn't want him to feel like she's ruined his Christmas with his mom. _I could pretend one of the kids is calling me and run outside and over the fence, out of here._  She munches on the food (admittedly delicious), half listening what's going on at the adult table. 

 

"Oh that reminds me, sweetheart," Andy's mom tells him, "Your brother is ever so sorry he couldn't make it."

 

April chokes on a baked potato and coughs. His brother, not here? There's like a dozen of them. The tribe of giants turns to check on her, but when she waves them away they all go back to what their mother was saying. 

 

"That's too bad," Andy says and they all nod in all sadness. 

 

April counts the tall guys around the room: six. Well, there's the answer. She doesn't even try to remember which guy is missing − is it blonde hair Alfie? Nope, he's right here gnawing on a chicken leg. Gay Alfie? Just there whispering something into his husband's ear. Has a lot of kids because he found God Alfie? Nope, April has seen the kids table and there is no way the fundie Alfie isn't here with so many kids present today. April is fully aware none of these guys are actually called Alfie. She's never even tried to remember their names either and just calls them all the same − so far Andy hasn't noticed she just calls them "your brother" every time he talks about any of them. It's been working for twenty-two years so far. She'd say she's set.

 

"Yes, it is," mom Dwyer says (Is it bad that April doesn't know her mother-in-law's name for sure? She _thinks_ it's Abbie but who can be really sure? Certainly not her) and musses up his hair. "At least I got my baby boy."

 

"Aww, mom!" 

 

"Andrew's fifty-two, mom," Grumpy Alfie says with his usual scowl. 

 

"And I'm grateful for every year I got to know him," she says, stroking Andy's arm tenderly. "My big shot of a son! Spending Christmas with Governor Knope!"

 

If there's one thing April still hasn't gotten used to, it's how people treat Leslie now that she's climbed up the ranks of politics. Whenever people learn they're friends (they say friends, April feels it's closer to family), they're making a big deal out of it and it's always annoyed April to no ends. _I could pretend to go to the bathroom, then actually leave the house through the front door and walk back to Leslie's place. No one would notice._ She helps herself to another serving of potatoes − is this what her life is now? They got her sitting in a corner where she can't even look outside. At least, if she could, she'd just look at the kids playing. That'd be awesome. If she listens very carefully, she thinks she can hear Robbie's voice outside giving instructions on how to play a certain game. Better than nothing at all.  

 

"Oh, do you need help, Mom?" Andy asks when his mom stands up to take some plates back to the kitchen. 

 

"Oh sweetheart, that would be neat, thank you."

 

And just like that, April is on her own, freezing and in the middle of a huge family she doesn't know. _I could pull out a knife, throw it at the chandelier, and make my escape when the whole things falls down on the table._ Shit, she forgot to take a knife. 

 

"So, April," Alfie starts and April freezes − figuratively as well as literally, it's still fucking cold. "What did you say your job was again?"

 

April throws a glance at the kitchen door. No sign of Andy coming back. She looks at the hall leading to the garden door. The cold is coming, unlike any of the kids. Where is your family when you need her? This is supposed to be her family too, but it just isn't. 

 

"Teeth masseuse."

 

The whole room, all five huge brothers and four wives and one husband and seven teens who are probably some of these brothers' kids, stare at her blankly. 

 

"I'm a job counselor," she finally answers with a sigh. 

 

"Andy says you recently got promoted, that sounds fun."

 

"It's not."

 

_I could roll down on the floor, pretend I'm hurt, and when they bring me to the emergencies, I just take over the ambulance, throw all the doctors out, and drive away._

 

"So, erm, what do you do?"

 

"I counsel. About jobs."

 

"Alright…"

 

They stare at her for a little bit longer. Uncomfortable, she looks down at her plate. Empty. Dammit. And the kids aren't… 

 

"Mommy!" 

 

"I love you, Jack!" She blurts out when she sees her son's face right by her side. 

 

She pulls him against her, hugging him tighter than she ever had. He's still wearing his big sweater from being outside and he looks cold, but his cheeks are warm and pink and he's her baby boy who just saved her from eternal boredom.

 

"You told me to check on Sam," he says breathlessly, like he's been running to come find her. 

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

She stands up, and even though she's been handed a golden excuse to get away from the table, she finds only anxiousness in her heart, like any time anything happens with her kids at all. 

 

"She's fine! Well, I think she is but she won't answer and I think she's just scared?" 

 

She grabs her coat and trots away with a "Bye, jabronies!", out before anyone can react.

 

Sam is sitting in the middle of a big patch of snow, hiding her little face behind her knees. April approaches carefully as several kids April doesn't really know just stare at Sam and April's heart breaks. She knows what these looks mean. She definitely was the recipient of such looks many many times. It's the looks that say _you're different, you're weird, we don't want you here._  The looks she'd be hoping none of her kids would ever get. 

 

"Hey there, baby girl," she says softly and there is no way to tell if Sam heard her. 

 

She takes a few steps, slowly, and Samantha doesn't move one bit until April sets a hand on her shoulder. Then she holds up her arms to be picked up like little ones do − April readily holds her against her. 

 

"What's the matter here, sweetie?" 

 

Sam nestles her head right against April's shoulder, her little hands grasping onto her coat for her dear life. She shakes her head. Around them, the kids disperse, leaving only April's own kids to gather around her.

 

"I think there were too many people," Robbie says. 

 

"She was overwhelmed," Jack adds. 

 

"We weren't mean," Lucy finishes, and Victoria nods her approval. 

 

April's arms tighten around her daughter . She wishes she'd been here sooner. 

 

"It's alright," she says. "Sam and I are just gonna sit here quietly, aren't we, sweetie?" 

 

She finds a plastic chair, wipes the snow off it, and sits down. Sam makes herself comfortable on her lap, her head still buried in April's coat, but with some time, she turns around, and even gets to enjoy watching her siblings and cousins play from far away. And eventually, she even goes back to playing, with the twins only and far from all the other kids, but that's really enough. It's still cold, she's still at a house she doesn't know and surrounded by people she doesn't want to know, but then she watches Robbie and Jack team up in a snowball fight, and she watches Sam and the twins build a snowman, and it's clumsy and doesn't look like much, but at the same time, it's the most beautiful snowman she's ever seen. She's even kind of disappointed by the time Andy asks if she wants to go back to Leslie's. If there's one thing she could watch for hours and hours, it's her kids playing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	7. 27th December: The One where Samantha loves Orin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April visits an old friend.

April lies to Leslie about meeting up with Orin — she tells her they have a bull fight to attend to and will be back later. She hasn't even told the kids. If they knew anything, Leslie would get it out of them after a handful of fudge surprises, they'd spill the beans and Leslie would bar the doors so April doesn't get to see Orin. She is that protective of her godchildren. Not happening. Not if April has to borrow Leslie's car to even get there and pile up her three kids − Andy and their two oldest decide to stay at Leslie's for a baseball game with Stephen and Ben in the snow-covered backyard.

"Mommy, where we going?" Lucy asks as April buckles the belt over her kids seat."We're going to visit one of my best friends in the world," April says and kisses the top of her head."Is it Daddy?""Nope, monster, another one. And you can never tell your aunt Leslie."

 

Orin still lives in the same old studio in a tumbled down building not far from Andy and April's old house. The neighborhood that used to be creepy and threatening is now trendy and innovative, but Orin's place has stayed just the same. Same old crooked door, even the dirty doorman is the same guy from fifteen years ago, the stairs still screech softly with each step and, although they're replaced semi-frequently, the vase of withered flowers is still right there in front of Orin's door. She suspects he is the one responsible for these.

"Alright, that's the place," April says and feels excited at the prospect of seeing her old best friend."Mommy, can I knock?" Victoria asks, and so April picks her up to be at the right level for knocking. The result is more like banging, but she has little toddler fists anyway and it's not like Orin to get cross. The door creeks open to Orin's pale face. He's a little bit thinner, his hair has gray strikes here and there (which makes him look a little bit like Frankenstein's creature, if you ask April), but his eyes hold the same emptiness as they did even the day she met him during recess in third grade. They could always comfort her."Hey," she says, and the three girls repeat after her in unison.

Slowly, he bows his head and opens the door, gesturing for them to come in.

 

Orin's apartment is a well kept treasure cave. Over the years, he's always loved collecting odd and special items he's found and they all have their own special spot where he keeps them neat and tidy. Special rocks, leaves, hair ties found on the sidewalk, all sorts of broken mechanics, a car tire he uses as a chair, several severely damaged pieces of furniture that just make the place look like it's got a special soul… She's missed this apartment and the many ideas they launched here together. Orin got this place when he was 16 and his parents kicked him out, and April cannot count the number of hours she spent here hanging out, doing nothing.

 

Orin has never owned chairs or sofas, so he invites them to sit down on the large, thick and round red rug in the middle of his living room and brings tea. It's still hot, as if he'd known they were coming and just made it. Well, good to know that that third eye is doing great for him.

"Andy and the two big kids stayed at Leslie's, I suppose you don't mind."

 

Orin shrugs and starts serving the tea. With small cups covered in flower patterns (dead flowers, a present from April for a birthday long ago), this feels just like a tea party like the ones they have at home with all the stuffed toys in the house and the girls are quick to see past Orin's sometimes intimidating face and enjoy their time here. The tea is fruity and quite a bit sweeter than April likes it, but seeing the girls thank Orin and sip their tea with their pinkies up in the air and a fancy accent to match, that makes up for it.

 

"So, anything going on these days?" April asks.

 

"I was promoted, to head of the costume department," Orin says in his slow, monotonous voice that stops on random syllables. "Last year."

 

April is relieved to hear him speak − she'd thought maybe he was in one of his silent days. He's always had these, ever since he was very little, and sometimes it's a blessing, but if she has to meet up with one of her best friends she hasn't seen in years, her personal preference is that they can talk together. She remembers fifth grade and how Orin didn't say one word for a year. She tried to do the same but broke it after five days when Natalie was being particularly annoying.

 

"Have you been painting too?"

 

He gestures vaguely to a corner of the room where she spots empty canvases. Or maybe they're painted white. 

 

"Nice."

 

"Thank you."

 

"Samantha likes to color," April says. "Maybe you'll be an artist like Orin, sweetie, won't that be fun?"

 

April turns to look at Sam and only then does she notice that her daughter seems to be completely entranced by Orin. Her big brown eyes are shining with an excitement that is barely contained, she's inching forward towards him, she seems utterly fascinated at this pale man who, just like her, doesn't talk much and likes art. 

 

"Do you art?" Orin asks softly. 

 

Oddly enough, April never pictured Orin as someone who could talk to children. And it's not like he is, not really, he addresses her exactly like he does anyone else, but for some reason that seems to do the trick for Sam and she nods with a shy smile. If anything, April is intrigued by her behavior − it's not exactly typical Sam behavior with people she doesn't know. This is the Sam they know at home, with her siblings or her parents, or at Leslie's. Not the Sam who visits a new place and meets a stranger.

 

"Sam is _always_ coloring," Victoria chimes in, holding onto her sister's arm from the right.

 

"Or painting!" Lucy adds, holding Sam on the left. 

 

In between her twin sisters, Sam is looking down bashfully, gracefully. April is absolutely delighted. 

 

"Do you want, to draw?" Orin asks. 

 

"Yes." Samantha's answer is clearcut, sure of herself.

 

"You mean right now?" April asks.

 

"Yes."

 

The good thing about Orin is that he's not so predictable. You know he's going to come up with interesting ideas and great art projects, but you never know what and you certainly can't predict when. She certainly didn't expect him to give her children paper and crayons and for them to watch them draw. But is it really weirder than anything they've ever done together, watching children draw and color? She does that most days. And that allows her to have some sort of conversation with Orin as well. She learns that he's doing well at the theater department of the Rec center, that he has recently exposed his series of sketches of opened up dogs and cows, that he's bought a new cloak, with a thinner lining, that he's received a prize for promising artist of southern Indiana, that he might try to adopt a lizard and that he is in no way interested in moving out of Pawnee.  

 

By the time she looks up the time on her Gryzzlphone and decides it's time to go for Leslie's sake, Sam has received several compliments from Orin, blushed at least twice and did her very best to draw him the best picture she can (a cat with long black teeth and a snake tail). An afternoon well spent. And Leslie doesn't even have to know about it. In fact, April has no intention to tell her as she gets back to her home and goes to the backyard to give Andy a kiss and two hugs.

 

"You went WHERE?!" Leslie shrieks from inside the house, in her office where the twins have ran off. 

 

So much for keeping a secret. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


	8. 28th December: The One where Andy is out for the day

Somewhere around who cares'o clock in the morning, April gets a peck on the cheek that wakes her up − an agreement between them, you can't leave the bed without telling the other person about it, no matter the time − and Andy whispers that he's going out to see what's his name and whatever. She nods, leaning into him stroking her cheek lovingly, and gets back to sleep immediately when he leaves. An unexpected consequence of being a stay-at-home dad for Andy (he prefers to call it being an awesome dad) is that he's learned to wake up earlier, and with no loss of energy or good cheer. Decades of work and having five children have not achieved the same for April. She just gets back to sleep immediately.

 

There are better ways to be woken up than others, though. Her daughters' warm breath two inches from her face is _one_ way.

 

"Aunt Leslie, she's awake!" One of the twin cries out as soon as April stirs to consciousness.

 

"She's moving, she is!" Roberta shouts − that girl has two volumes, loud and off, when she's sleeping. "Mommy, wake up!"

 

Warm poking fingers try to pry her eyes open and she pulls her daughter flush against her for more cuddly sleep, but Robbie is definitely a hundred percent awake and won't be swayed like that.

 

"Come on," she giggles as April sleepily blows raspberries on her shoulder. "Aunt Leslie made rainbow waffles!"

 

And sure enough, after April lets herself be dragged out of bed by her kids, Leslie is waiting for her in the kitchen with multicolored waffles, a huge dollop of whipped cream on top covered in chocolate sprinkles. 

 

"Good morning, April!" 

 

She gives her a side-hug as soon as she sits down, giving her a kiss on the temple that April reluctantly accepts. On their side of the table, the triplets are almost too busy to greet her. Stephen is playing on his Gryzzlphone, Sonia seems to be working and Wesley is deep in conversation with Jack. 

 

"Where's Andy?" She asks as the girls sit next to her, quickly diving into their breakfast. 

 

"Out to see his old bandmates," Sonia responds without looking up. She's wearing reading glasses that April suspects are useless and just make her look grown-up. 

 

"Good," April says, and means it. Better him going alone than dragging her with him. Though by now he knows this and acts accordingly.

 

"I have so many great things planned for today!" Leslie beams and April sighs, bracing herself. 

 

As it turns out, the things Leslie has planned involve a lot of sitting around reading books to the kids (April learns that Leslie has written an interminably long book series about Pawnee called Seb the Li'l Pawnee Gal), eating homemade cookies, drinking a lot of hot cocoa and snuggling under blankets (April snuggles with just Sam and Jack under her own blanket). 

 

All in all, this is just like a great day at home of just her and the kids, but made better by Leslie's constant amazing care. Lunch comes around and her phone vibrates with news from Andy.

 

_is it ok if I stay here 4 lunch? mike is making kosher subs please answer quick it smells good xoxoxo_

 

She looks around the room at her kids sprawled on the sofas gorging themselves on Leslie's Day At Home Snacks, and really, they don't absolutely need Andy to have a great day just now. He can treat himself to a day with his old friends.

 

_Be back before dark or I'll murder Ben in vengeance._

 

thx babe ur the best <3 <3 <3 love u

 

A smile to her face, she goes back to the conversation, currently centered around school − trust Leslie to bring _that_ up. 

 

"I'm the first of my class in math!" Robbie announces proudly. 

 

"That's amazing, sweetie," Leslie smiles. She's perfectly aware of that and was just gushing over it with Ann on Christmas Day. To April's knowledge, none of Ann's kids were first of class in elementary, so that's always something to rejoice about. 

 

"And Jack is super great too!" 

 

"Is he? I'm not surprised."

 

"Not as good as you," he tells his sister truthfully. 

 

"And Sam is _the best_ at coloring, aren't you Sam?" Robbie goes on. 

 

It's one of April's greatest pride that her children are developing Andy's kindness. It's not by coincidence, of course. Andy has dozens of songs for all circumstances of life and this just seems like a fine success of _Be Proud of Your Family_. 

 

Sam's little head peeks out of the blanket fort Stephen has built for the little ones in a corner of the living room. She smiles shyly and nods, just a soft gesture, almost blink-and-you'll-miss-it, but she does. 

 

"Maybe you'll make an artist out of her, just like my Wesley," Leslie tells April. 

 

"She'll make what she wants out of herself."

 

"Oh, you know what I mean." 

 

April snorts and takes another bite out of Leslie's Lounge Day Waffles. Leslie claims love is their special ingredient, as well as a drop of laziness. Ben told April it's a little bit of cinnamon. On the other side of the room, where they've been drawing for a while, Lucy and Vicky's moves are starting to get slower and slower. April has been watching their eyelids get droopy, their little heads bow down until finally, Lucy's head slips from her little fist where it'd been resting, and April decides it's nap time. 

 

"Do you want to nap with them?" Leslie whispers. 

 

"I'm forty-three, Leslie, I don't need a nap." 

 

"Well, I was forty-three before, and in my experience, you absolutely do need a nap."

 

"Are you trying to put me to be, _mom_?"

 

Leslie shakes her head, smiling, as they pick up the twins to get them to be − Sam follows of her own will. 

 

The seventh book of Seb the Li'l Pawnee Gal is read by the two big kids on their own and this is calming too, just hanging with Leslie silently. 

 

Well, mostly silently, since it's with Leslie.

 

"So what Pre-K did you put Sam in? The same as the triplets? I was kinda disappointed in their construction block area, to be perfectly honest, but the floors were so impeccable…" 

 

"Sam's not going to Pre-K."

 

Leslie gives her the big eyes the way she does when she's offended and tries to hide it. 

 

"What do you _mean_ Sam's not going to Pre-K? Is she sick? Is something the matter?"

 

"Are we gonna have this conversation every kid?" April sighs. "We want our kids at home as long as we can. Robbie's already going to school, you should be happy!"

 

"April, you know I only want the best for my gr… godchildren!"

 

The stumble has happened before. April has learned not to mention it. 

 

"They are getting the best. They're getting Andy."

 

"Someone talking about me?" 

 

April turns around and there is her gorgeous husband in all his glory, his smile radiant, as always. 

 

"Daddy!" 

 

The conversation is dropped, and on the kids side, the Pawnee storybook is instantly forgotten: no book will ever be so good as their daddy. What was so far a great day becomes an awesome one as Andy joins in on the lazy stay at home fun they're having, and really, this is what April has come to Pawnee for. Hanging around, charging her batteries up to the brink with Leslie's craziness so she can go without for the next couple months, bickering a little bit but above all, caring for each other. And sometimes, you need full days of exactly just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


End file.
